


Unbroken

by scarletchidori



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Grief, Grief/Mourning, Loneliness, Loss of Parent(s), neji meets tenten, of course here the relationship is platonic since they just met, young nejiten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25226725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletchidori/pseuds/scarletchidori
Summary: He misses him so much, and he wishes he could hug his father and tell him that he doesn’t care if he isn’t born in the main family, because he’s happy to be his father’s son.
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji & Tenten
Kudos: 10





	Unbroken

**Author's Note:**

> A year ago I wrote a one-shot for the NejiTen month about Tenten meeting Neji for the first time. I decided to write the same scenario (along with the same dialogue between them) plus Neji's feelings. I wrote that old one-shot in first person, but ever since I started to change my writing style I realize that writing in first person isn't for me anymore. I tried to focus on Neji's feelings more (grief, mourning, and even a bit of happiness), and I tried to described them as best as I could. 
> 
> Neji might be a bit ooc, but since he's a small child here, I don't know how much "ooc" he can be. This one-shot is named after my favorite track (or one of my favorites, perhaps) in The Last of Us Part II.
> 
> So... As always kudos are really appreciated, and if you want let me know what you think.

_ “In the far-off sky, there are two nameless stars _

_ Just like the two of us _

_ So you won’t get blown away by the summer wind _

_ I’ll never let go of that tiny hand in mine _

_ You try to act tough, saying ‘it’s nothing’ _

_ I got the feeling that we’re somehow similar” _

_ (Pino and Amèlie - Naruto Shippuden) _

*

A woman caresses Neji’s cheek, kneeling in front of him.

“I’m so sorry about your father.”

Neji doesn’t say anything. In normal circumstances he would have been reprimanded, people would tell him that he was being impolite. But given the circumstances the woman smiles at him, before leaving him alone.

He turns around, and sees his father. But he isn’t his father, of course. The fact that Hiashi-sama is his father's twin is a curse. His father is dead, and yet he can still see him in his uncle. It hurts too much.

He stays in the shadows, ready to run out of this hot room. Too much noise, to many people… he… needs to be alone. 

  
Without even being noticed he slipped away, running in the snow. He runs without even looking around him, and he finds himself in the park. Alone, small hands cold as ice, he sits on one of the benches, they’re covered in snow, but he doesn’t care. 

He looks up at the sky, thinking about his father and how much he misses him. He misses him so much, and he wishes he could hug his father and tell him that he doesn’t care if he isn’t born in the main family, because he’s happy to be his father’s son.

“It’s snowing, you know?”, someone asks him.

“I know,” Neji replies without looking at the person who is talking to him.

“Did you hurt yourself?”, she asks worried.

“What?”

  
“Your forehead,” she says “It’s covered in bandages.”

“Oh, yes…”, the child replies, finally raising his head.

There’s a small girl beside him. She has her hair divided in two buns, she looks like a small panda, Neji thinks. She has kind brown eyes, and she looks worried.

“My name is Tenten,” she says smiling at him “And you are… Neji, right?”

Of course.

She knows him.

  
“Yes.”

He looks always staring at the snow that's covering the ground.

“Your hair is so beautiful, you know that?”

“Thank you.”

They stay in silence, while watching the snow falling around them. She sits next to him, and opens her umbrella covering them both.

“You have to go home?”, he asks her.

  
They don’t know each other and yet this child, Tenten, makes him feel better. He wanted to be alone, and now he doesn't want to be alone. Usually other children look at him like he’s some sort of prodigy, but just because they know about his clan. But Tenten is talking to him normally.

“No,” she says “I can stay as much as I want, if you want some company.”

Neji doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t move. He feels so comfortable with this little girl, that without even thinking he starts talking.

“My father loved snow.”

“Really?”, she asks.

  
She must know about his father. Konoha has been talking about him ever since he passed away.

“Yes,” he replies “We used to play under the snow, make a snowman, and he used to smile, and he thought that the first snow was the most beautiful.”

He wants to talk about his father. He wants to confess everything to this little girl that he just met. He wants to know her, to be her friend. Someone that doesn’t care about his clan or his talent, someone who… sees him. He might be a small child, but he’s already more mature than other children he knows. 

“I agree,” she says softly “The first snow is always beautiful.”

There’s no one around. Only him and her.

“Does your forehead hurt?”, she asks gently.

For a moment he thinks he can lie to her. After all, he owes nothing to this Tenten, yet he doesn't have the strength to lie. Not today.

“Yes,” he whispers after a moment of silence.

“I could kiss your forehead,” she says, and he’s so amazed that he almost looks up to her.

  
“Why?”

“To make the pain go away.”

She’s so innocent. More innocent than him. Still thinking that a kiss could make his pain go away. Neji’s pain will never go away. The cursed mark will stay with him until the day he dies. 

  
  


He turns around and stares at her. Her brown warm eyes are full of sadness for him, and he wishes he could ask her to hug him, but he knows that he can’t ask such a thing, especially to someone he just met. He must be strong, like his father.

“Okay,” he says.

Her cheeks are dusted with pink when bends towards him, kissing his covered forehead. Neji closes his eyes automatically.

“I’m sure that the pain will go away, sooner or later,” she says smiling at him “I promise.”

They stay in silence for a while, sometimes they stare at each other, and every time she smiles at him.

“I should go home,” he whispers.

  
“I guess so,” Tenten replies “If someone is waiting for you, then you should go.”

Neji is confused, because in her voice there’s a note of sadness.

“Isn’t there anyone waiting for you?”, he asks.

“No,” Tenten replies “Nobody is waiting for me.”

She’s alone, Neji realizes.

  
“Then I’ll stay here.”

Tenten smiles at him again. At home there’s Hiashi waiting for him, probably ready to punish him because he needs to stay close to Hinata as much as possible and protect her. He wants to feel the sadness for his father’s death, and he wants to be with someone who doesn’t know him and who still sees him like the child he is rather than being a sort of shield for others.

“Yeah?”  
  


“Yes,” he replies nodding.

They stay there for he doesn’t know how much time. But when the snow begins to fall more abundantly, Neji realizes that it’s time to go home.

“I have to go now,” he whispers.

“Here,” she whispers “You don’t even have a coat on, hold these so you can protect your hands.”

“I can’t accept,” he replies “We don’t even know each other.”

“Well, I know your name, and you know mine, that’s enough,” she nods to herself “Keep them, you can return them whenever you want.”

“Okay.”

Neji wears Tenten’s gloves, they are so warm.

“Do you want me to accompany you home?”, Tenten asks “You don’t have an umbrella.”

“No,” Neji replies worriedly “It’s not necessary.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he nods “Well… see you.”

  
  


“Yes, see you soon,” she smiles again.

They say goodbye and Neji starts to run, and despite the situation he feels his heart lighter, and a warm sensation in his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying my best to not make mistakes (English is not my first language) but if you see some mistakes please let me know!


End file.
